Today, Alpharetta is a popular historic suburb of Atlanta. Named the third best on Niche’s list of 2017 Best Suburbs to Live in Georgia, Alpharetta has something to offer everyone. The town is home to award-winning restaurants, premier shopping, top-notch schools and a range of housing options to choose from. With all these perks at your front door, it’s easy to see the advantages of living in Alpharetta.

The Market

Houses go for an average sales price of $338,500 and sell for $7,000 less than the listing price. There’s an average price of $138 per square foot. You’ll find both single-family homes and town homes, along with apartments above developments like Avalon. It’s a young town, with the majority of the population aged 25 to 44, according to Grow Alpharetta. This youthful energy makes it a popular spot for young professionals and families.

Proclaimed as the Technology City of the South, Alpharetta is home to a variety of tech-based companies, including Hewlett-Packard, LexisNexis and Verizon Business Services. Other companies based here include Intercontinental Hotel Group, Cox Communications and NCR Corporation.

Alpharetta was named the top Atlanta suburb by HomeSnacks based on factors like low crime rates, education spending per student and home values. SafeWise also named Alpharetta as one of the 20 safest cities in Georgia, citing a relatively low crime rate based on the size of the population.

There’s also a large number of public elementary schools, along with middle schools, high schools and private schools. Three colleges and universities also have branches in Alpharetta, so you have no shortage of education options.

The Lifestyle

Community events are what make living in Alpharetta so great. The Taste of Alpharetta, Alpharetta Brew Moon Fest and Scarecrow Harvest are among annual events this suburb has to offer. The Alpharetta Farmers Market is an ideal place to shop for local produce. The city also has its own attractions, including the Alpharetta Arboretum and historic homes kept up by the city. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre hosts national acts like Dave Matthews Band and Rod Stewart.

Shopaholics will enjoy the independent boutiques and flagship stores of Avalon and North Point Mall. American Girl has its own location in Alpharetta, selling their dolls and serving all ages in their cafe. Topgolf is another favorite activity — check out the very first Topgolf location in the state if you’re ever interested in a night out doing something in between miniature golf and extreme sports.

Foodies will find great options in the city as well. Some of Atlanta’s best chefs have opened outposts in the northern suburb, including chef Ford Fry’s restaurant The El Felix and chef Michael Perez’s Colletta. The funky flavors at Da Vinci’s Donuts are also a favorite. Jekyll Brewing is a craft brewery located in Alpharetta.

Getting Around Town

Alpharetta is connected via GA-400, which can cause heavy traffic, especially during rush hour in the morning and afternoon. Some parts of Alpharetta, including the shopping centers and downtown Alpharetta, are walkable, but be aware that others are not. Some buses run to Windward Parkway, but further bus connections must be made to access the MARTA train stations. So if you don’t own a car, it might be time to invest in a bike for getting around town.

Alpharetta Big Creek Greenway is one of the area’s green spaces with paved trails for walking and biking. Wills Park is another, with baseball fields, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a dog park, disc golf course, pavilions, playgrounds, a recreation center, a special event venue and an adjoining 50-acre Equestrian Center.

There’s no shortage of things to keep residents living in Alpharetta busy, even after the workday is over. If you’re ready to call this suburb home, head to Owners.com to search for a house in your price range.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Owners.com, Altisource or any other Altisource® business or entity. The foregoing content is not intended to constitute, and in fact does not constitute, financial, investment, tax or legal advice by the author, Owners.com, Altisource or any other business or entity.

1. Owners.com Buyer Rebate Program Terms and Conditions. (A) To participate in the Owners.com buyer rebate program (the "Program"), a buyer must not currently be represented by another licensed real estate professional and buyer must execute a brokerage agreement with Owners.com on terms and conditions satisfactory to Owners.com. Participation is also limited to buyers able to demonstrate qualification to purchase the desired property by providing proof of funds and/or a pre-qualification letter from a bank satisfactory to Owners.com in its sole discretion. (B) For eligible properties, Owners.com will rebate to the buyer 50% of the buyer's agent brokerage commission received by Owners.com at closing. (C) Program rebates are only available in the states of CA, FL, GA, IL, MA, OH, PA and TX and is limited to properties for which Owners.com is not engaged as the listing (seller-side) broker. A property's eligibility for participation in the Program will be determined in the sole discretion of Owners.com and may be subject to a minimum sales price, minimum commission requirements and the property not being a short sale. If a specific property is included for participation in the Program, Program details will be displayed on that specific property's details page on Owners.com. (D) Participation by a buyer in the Program is optional. (E) Payment of rebates under the Program will not be made where prohibited by law. (F) Payment of a rebate under the Program shall be disclosed by buyer to all parties to the transaction, including, without limitation, the seller, any lender and any other real estate broker. (G) For transactions involving a lender, payment of the rebate shall be made via a credit to buyer at closing shown on the HUD-1 or other settlement statement and the amount and acceptability of the rebate is expressly subject to review and approval of buyer's lender. For "cash" transactions not involving a lender, payment of the rebate may be made by a check to buyer on or after closing or via a credit to buyer at closing shown on the HUD-1 or other settlement statement. (H) Consult your accounting, legal or tax advisors regarding proper treatment of any rebate. (I) Owners.com reserves the right to modify the terms and conditions of the Program at any time by modifying the Owners.com Terms of Use; however, no such modification shall amend the terms or any existing brokerage agreement between a buyer and Owners.com unless such modification is required by law.

2. Services available if Owners.com is retained as the buyer's agent and are only offered in CA, FL, GA, IL, MA, OH, PA and TX and is limited to properties for which Owners.com is not engaged as the listing (seller-side) broker.